


Entangling Engagements

by maplemarcher



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Accidental Marriage, Candlenights, Episode: e060-066 The Stolen Century Parts 1-7, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, eventual smut probably?, we'll see about that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-09-28
Packaged: 2019-04-23 08:01:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14328108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maplemarcher/pseuds/maplemarcher
Summary: Magnus has always taken pride in his gift-giving skills. He puts thought into every detail he carves, and when he buys something, he makes sure that it's something the receiver will absolutely love. Unfortunately, his focus has the tendency to be channeled in one place all at once, and he misses a hugely important detail about a gift given to a certain flip wizard...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Stress_Mess24](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stress_Mess24/gifts).



> *rubs hands together* y'all ready for some TAAGNUS

            “Shopping for someone special?”

            Magnus looked up from the table of cheap-looking jewelry. The elderly halfling woman was looking at him with a wry smile and a small glint in her eye. He shrugged and tugged his thick scarf tighter to his chin, burying the tip of his icy nose in the impossibly soft wool.

            “Yeah, actually,” he said. The merchant’s grin grew as she ducked underneath the table. Magnus considered walking away right then and there; he was no expert on gold and jewels and things like that, but even he could tell that the wares here were subpar to say the least. The halfling reappeared before he could make his final decision, and Magnus resigned himself to enduring a lengthy sales pitch of gold that looked like plastic painted yellow. She glanced around the market behind Magnus before motioning for him to come closer. He leaned across the table as she pulled a small oak chest from underneath the faded red tablecloth.

            “I save these for the customers who mean business,” she said, brushing a few stray snowflakes off the top of the chest. “Most come just looking for cheap trinkets to buy, so that’s what I sell them. But _these_ are the real deal.”

            Magnus nodded, his interest piqued, as she opened the chest. There were several necklaces inside, sitting on cushions of plush green velvet. Anyone could have seen the difference between these and the fakes on the table, even Barry without his glasses. Magnus gingerly picked up a delicate golden chain that had small pink gems dripping from it while the woman chattered on. He was only half listening as he looked through the others, mentally comparing them to the person he had in mind for this particular gift. He finally decided on the first necklace he’d picked up. The merchant put it in a box for him, accepted his gold, and waved him off with a smile.

            Magnus grinned to himself and tucked the box deep into his coat pocket. _Finally._ Shopping for Taako was an absolute nightmare, but he’d managed to find something that he was almost certain would appeal to the elf. It wasn’t that Taako was picky, he just had…high standards. Magnus didn’t mind, though. Buying gifts for the others had been relatively easy. An exotic potted plant for Merle, new paints for Lucretia, a necromancy book for Barry, a new deck of cards for Davenport, and a recipe book along with an apron with flames printed on it for Lup. Magnus wasn’t just buying them things, either—he’d been carving ducks and painting them to look like his friends for the past week, as well as working on a scale model of the Starblaster.

            This was the first Candlenights they were having in decades, so he was going to go all out.

            The crowd around him chattered as he made his way back to the ship, his boots crunching in the snow. The natives of this plane didn’t have Candlenights exactly, but they had something quite similar that involved the giving of gifts. It happened around the same time as his favorite holiday, so he’d taken advantage of the new booths being set up in the town square’s already enormous market. Merle had run into him a few days earlier, hiding something behind his back with a cheesy grin. It was good to see other members of the crew were getting into the Candlenights spirit. Taako and Lup were planning an enormous dinner, Lucretia and Barry had decorated the Starblaster, and even Davenport was participating. He’d helped Merle pick out a suitable bush to put in the common area.

            “Holy shit, it smells _amazing_ in here,” Magnus said as soon as he got below deck. He took care to get the snow off his boots before heading into the kitchen, where Taako was stirring a large pot. Upon closer inspection, Magnus saw that it was a huge batch of mashed potatoes.

            Taako slapped the back of his hand with the wooden spoon as Magnus reached for the contents of the pot. “No fuckin’ way Mags, these are for tonight. Besides, you don’t just stick your hand into a vat of mashed potatoes.”

            “Says the one who has pocket pudding,” Magnus grumbled, rubbing the red mark on his hand.

            “That was one time, and if anyone reserves the right to have loose pudding in their pocket, it’s me.”

            Magnus laughed and leaned against the counter. Taako shook his head and rolled his eyes, but his small smile betrayed him. He turned off the stove and put a lid on the pot, handing Magnus the spoon. It was snatched out of his hand before he could so much as blink. Taako shook his head once more and mirrored Magnus’ position, leaning against the opposite counter.

            “Where’ve you been all day, anyway?” he asked.

            “Shopping,” Magnus replied in between licks of the spoon. “Pretty last minute, I know.”

            “No kidding. My gift better be top notch, or I’ll be severely disappointed.”

            Magnus grinned, not even bothering to play along. “Don’t worry, it is. I’ve gotta do some more last-minute shit, see you in a few hours!” He tossed the spoon into the sink and retreated into his room, armed with his carving knife and high spirits.

            This was going to be great.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is more set up than anything! More stuff will start to happen after this one!

            Magnus finished the model of the Starblaster just in time. He finished brushing off the last wood shavings when Taako came pounding on his door, announcing that dinner was ready. It was, of course, delicious. The crew spent a good few hours talking, recounting stories from previous cycles, and reminiscing about Candlenights celebrations they’d had on their home world. Barry had everyone laughing as he told a rather embarrassing story about his last Candlenights with his family that involved a little too much wine and bright red ribbon.

            The gift exchange was filled with warmth (possibly due to the fact that they were full of wine). Magnus was the last one to hand out his gifts, starting with the wooden ducks. Davenport marveled at the detail in the small wooden Starblaster, and Merle got a huge kick out of placing their wooden likenesses on the deck.

            “It’s a duck deck!” he said, earning a punch on the arm from Lup and groans from everyone else. He was paid back for the pun with teasing from the twins about the exotic plant Magnus had given him. The dwarf had taken it in stride and told them they were just jealous neither of them were getting any action. Barry took offense to that.

            “Okay Mags, hit me with this top-notch gift you told me about earlier,” Taako said once everyone else had been given their gifts. Magnus nodded, swallowing down his nervousness. The elf watched him, one perfectly manicured eyebrow arched, as he retrieved the box containing the necklace with clumsy hands. Taako opened it much more gracefully, and his eyes widened by the smallest fraction. Magnus couldn’t help the small surge of pride that swelled in his chest when Taako held up the necklace, the gems swinging and sparkling in the warm light of the fireplace.

            “Damn, how much did _that_ cost you?” Merle asked. Magnus merely shrugged. He was too busy watching Taako put it on to remember its price. The elf was smiling, and it made his stomach twist into knots.

            “So, uh, do you like it?” he asked.

            Taako nodded as he turned one of the pink gems in his fingers. “You weren’t kidding when you said it was top notch.” The pads of his delicate fingers slid along the length of the chain, his small smile growing ever so slightly. He seemed to realize that there were other people in the room; he straightened his posture and flipped his braid over one shoulder, expression returning to its casual, slightly dismissive state. Magnus didn’t miss the slight flush to his cheeks as he took a deep sip from his wine glass, but he blamed it on the alcohol. A comfortable silence fell over the seven of them as they basked in the fire’s warmth.

            “This is really nice,” Lucretia said. “We should do things like this more often.”

            “When we have the time, of course,” Davenport chimed in. “The mission comes first.”

            “Lighten up for once, Cap,” Lup said, draping herself across Barry’s lap. “No mission talk for the rest of the night. Let’s just drink too much wine and get into the spirit of the holiday and all that shit.”

            “Hell yeah,” Taako agreed. Magnus settled further back into the cushions of the couch as conversation resumed, full of wine and warmth and affection for his friends. His eyes began to close and their words began to slur together. Before long, he was out like a light.

* * *

 

            “Magnus.”

            He grunted in protest and wrapped the blanket tighter around himself.

            “Magnus, c’mon.”

            Nope. No way. It was far too warm and cozy to do something stupid like move.

            “If you don’t get up right the fuck now, I’ll levitate you off the couch.”

            “You wouldn’t waste the spell slots,” Magnus grumbled.

            “Don’t try me, Burnsides.”

            Magnus groaned in irritation and rubbed his eyes as he sat up, grumbling all the while. Taako was standing over him, arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently. The common room was dark and empty save for the two of them, and the fire was reduced to glowing embers. How late was it? Magnus fuzzily recalled someone—maybe Lucretia?—draping a blanket over him as he’d dozed off. That must have been hours ago.

            “How long have I been out?” he asked with a yawn.

            “A few hours. You passed out before _Merle._ When did you start getting so old?” Magnus flicked the brim of Taako’s hat in response to the teasing, causing it to go crooked. Taako narrowed his eyes as he straightened it, but there was no malice behind his glare. Magnus noted that he was still wearing the necklace as he stretched, his spine popping.

            “Thanks for waking me up,” Magnus said. “I would’ve fucked up my neck sleeping like that all night.”

            “Again, _old,”_ Taako said, and Magnus rolled his eyes. “Anyways, it’s like three in the morning and even Taako needs his beauty sleep.” He patted Magnus’ bicep. “Night, big guy.”

            Magnus wrapped his arms around the much smaller man in a warm embrace. Taako patted his back awkwardly. Maybe it was the wine still making his head feel fuzzy, maybe it was the memory of the elf’s small smile from earlier, or maybe it was just Magnus’ love of hugs that made him not let go for several moments. He finally pulled out of the embrace when Taako actually started to squirm.

            “Night Taako. Merry Candlenights,” Magnus said.

            Taako waved him off, not looking him in the eye. He could have had that same flush in his cheeks, but it was hard to tell in the dark. “Yeah yeah. Night.” He sauntered off to his room, and Magnus followed suit. It didn’t take him long to fall asleep again, but in the few moments he spent laying awake, he thought about Taako’s eyes glittering in the firelight. They put the gems to shame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry these chapters have been so short QwQ


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of fun writing this chapter.

            Morning came, and no one was happy about it. Magnus was the first one in the kitchen, and Barry drifted in not long after, tempted by the smell of brewing coffee. He simply nodded in greeting, having no energy to speak. Magnus raised his cup in response, and Barry started making breakfast. Lup had been giving him cooking lessons, and while he still doesn’t come close to her skill level, he wasn’t bad either. The normal chatter of the morning was absent, even when everyone except the twins was in the kitchen, quietly munching on scrambled eggs and bacon. Lucretia had three cups of coffee within ten minutes and took five aspirin in one go. Taako and Lup came shuffling out of their rooms around noon. Neither of them had bothered to change into pajamas.

            “I’m never drinking that much again,” Lup grumbled as she brewed another pot of coffee.

            “That’s what you always say, babe,” Barry remarked with a kiss to her temple. She flipped him off, and Barry chuckled.

            “Maybe we got a little _too_ into the Candlenights spirit,” Merle said.

            The day went on normally after that. Everyone slowly got over their hangovers (albeit at different speeds) and resumed their day-to-day tasks. Lucretia sat at the kitchen table writing away in her journal, Barry and Lup headed off to the lab, Taako retreated to his room, and Merle and Davenport wandered off to play cards with the captain’s new deck. Magnus sat next to Lucretia while he whittled for a while, not paying too much attention to what he was carving. His leg began to bounce as he grew tired of sitting around. He considered exploring the nearby town a little bit more but didn’t want to go alone. This world was far too cold for Fisher, and everyone else was busy. Well…maybe not everyone.

            “Hey Taako, want to go to the market or something?” he asked as he knocked on the wizard’s door.

            “I’m busy,” came the reply.

            “Doing what?”

            “Wizard shit, I don’t know.”

            Magnus huffed. “Please? I’m bored and I don’t want to go alone.”

            Taako groaned. “Fine, Jesus. I’m bored anyway. Just let me take a shower first.”

            “Sweet!” Magnus said with a grin. He turned back down the hallway to his own room to freshen up a bit before heading out. As he reached for the handle of his door, another swung open.

            “Magnus.” Taako was standing in his doorway. “Why can’t I take this thing off?”

            “What thing?” Magnus asked.

            “This.” Taako gestured to the necklace. “I can’t find the clasp.”

            Magnus’ brow furrowed. “Here, let me see.” Taako let him inspect the back of the necklace, and sure enough, the clasp was nowhere to be found. Magnus leaned close, inspecting further, but came up empty. The chain was whole, with no breaks. There had definitely been a clasp there when he’d bought it.

            “It looks like it’s big enough to take off by just putting it over your head,” he suggested. Taako tried taking it off that way, but to no avail. It wouldn’t even go past his ears, despite its wide circumference. He murmured something under his breath, and his eyes glowed a faint blue for a moment. After an uncomfortably long silence, he looked up at Magnus. His expression was eerily calm.

            “Magnus Burnsides, did you get me a cursed fucking necklace for Candlenights?”

            “No! I mean—maybe? I don’t know! I didn’t mean to!” Magnus said frantically. “The lady selling them didn’t seem like she was selling cursed shit!”

            “Yeah, because you _totally_ advertise that!” Taako snapped. “’Come buy my stuff! It’ll make your dick fall off!’ Real nice sales pitch!”

            “Your dick hasn’t fallen off yet!”

            “You don’t know that! I could be walking around completely smooth down there like a god damn Ken doll and you’d have no fucking clue.” He rubbed his temples, eyes screwed shut and ears twitching in irritation. “If there’s not a way to get this thing off of me, I’m going to feed you to The Hunger.”

            “I’m sure we’ll figure it out,” Magnus said. “Should we go to the lady I bought it from?”

            “Hey, you had a good idea! Let me mark the calendar.”

            Magnus elbowed him. “Fuck off.”

* * *

 

            The walk to the market was uncomfortable. Taako had taken forever to get dressed. He’d explained that he had to construct his outfit around the necklace. Magnus couldn’t complain too much—the soft pastels that he was wearing provided a lovely contrast with his caramel skin. Magnus _could_ complain about the incessant grumbling, however. Taako hemmed and hawed the whole way to the market. He complained about the cold, the snowflakes that got in his hair, this, that, and the other thing. Magnus was very grateful to reach the square; the low chatter of the crowd made Taako’s complaints fade out.

            It took them some time to find the stall where Magnus had bought the cursed-or-something necklace. The halfling brightened as soon as she saw them, a toothy grin spreading across her face and making the wrinkles around her eyes more prominent.

            “Hello there!” she greeted cheerfully as the two approached her table, still covered with the same chintzy jewelry.

            “Hi,” Magnus said. He could feel his patience wearing thin. “About the necklace I bought from you—”

            “Yes, a wonderful choice! Fitting for such a beautiful young man.” Taako smirked a bit at that, appreciating the praise. “Come, come! Take off your scarf, let’s see it!”

            Taako glanced at Magnus from out of the corner of his eye, and he shrugged. The elf unwound his long white scarf from around his neck, revealing the necklace. The shopkeeper smiled and nodded appreciatively, her eyes twinkling. She went on about how the choice had been perfect for him, how the colors complimented his skin and how the length was perfect. There was a genuine tone in her voice that made a touch of pride flicker in Magnus’ chest. Taako began to shiver slightly, and Magnus was snapped back into reality. He opened his mouth to speak, but the halfling beat him to it.

            “The two of you make such a beautiful couple,” she cooed. “Congratulations!”

            “Hold up,” Taako said, one hand raised. “A beautiful what now? Congratulations for what?”

            “Didn’t he tell you? That’s an engagement necklace!”

            That was when Magnus knew he was going to die.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> owo


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I am so, so sorry this took so long. I could list off all the reasons why I haven't been writing lately, but I won't waste your time. Enjoy :)

        Lup, to her credit, didn’t laugh nearly as much as Magnus thought she would. That being said, she still laughed. A lot. Taako simply glared at her while she cackled, his arms crossed tightly and his mouth in a thin line. Merle had a similar reaction.

        “I can always officiate you know,” he said once he caught his breath. “Being a man of the cloth and all.”

        “That won’t be necessary,” Taako said before Magnus could do so much as open his mouth. “We’re not fucking getting married.”

        “How do you plan to get it off then?”

        “I—I  haven’t figured that out yet,” Taako admitted. “But there has to be _something_ we can do, right? I mean come on, we’ve got Wonder Nerd over here. He should be able to figure something out.” He jerked his thumb in Barry’s direction.

        “Yeah, we—hey, wait,” Barry said.

        Magnus couldn’t believe he’d missed such an important detail. An engagement necklace. A _magical_ engagement necklace that never came off. He was amazed Taako hadn’t blasted him off the face of the earth yet. The wizard hadn’t spoken a word to him since their visit to the market. He’d simply told the jewelry vendor to have a nice day and left without a word, hands shoved in his pockets, leaving Magnus to scramble after him. He would have preferred being yelled at, honestly. Yelling he could deal with. This cold silence? It just made him uneasy.

        “I’m an idiot, Fisher,” Magnus sighed as he sat on the floor of Lucretia’s room with the jellyfish, who was playing with the scale model of the Starblaster and the wooden ducks. Fisher hummed in response as it flew around the room with the ship in one of its tentacles.

        “I mean, really! All I had to do was listen! But now Taako won’t talk to me and everything sucks.”

        Fisher picked up duck-Taako and duck-Magnus. It turned the ducks so they were facing each other and made their bills touch like they were kissing.

        “Fuck off,” Magnus mumbled, blushing. A riff came from Fisher, its version of a laugh.

        Fisher hummed “Here Comes the Bride”, and Magnus groaned, laying on the floor and putting a pillow on top of his face. The jellyfish floated down and sat on it, continuing to make the ducks kiss and laughing. Magnus sighed into the pillow, unfazed by the weight of the jellyfish on his face.

        “I mean, I wouldn’t mind, if we had to, I guess,” he said, his voice muffled, “but Taako sure as hell would. But it’s not like we’d have to, well, you know, have sex or anything. And we could always get divorced after he took off the necklace. And I mean, what’s the big deal? It’s not like we’re actually in—”

        “I hope you’re talking to Fisher and not just yourself,” Lucretia said from the doorway. Magnus sat up as Fisher floated over to Lucretia, humming in greeting.

        “Both, kinda,” he said. “What’s with the books?”

        Lucretia set the large stack of books in her arms on her bed and sat down, her legs crossed. She picked up the one on top of the pile and opened it on her lap. The pages were yellowed and it smelled like dust and ancient mold. Magnus looked over her shoulder. There were illustrations of different necklaces and notes in print so small that he had to squint to focus on it.

        “I found as many books as I could on the marriage traditions and customs of this plane,” Lucretia explained as she adjusted her glasses. “Barry and Lup are testing the magical properties of the necklace itself, and I’m seeing if I can find any loopholes in the laws around it.”

        “Cool,” Magnus said. He shooed Fisher away from the book’s pages. “You guys sure are going to a lot of trouble...”

        “Don’t worry about it,” Lucretia said with a dismissive wave of her hand. Magnus nodded, and they sat in silence for a while, Magnus watching Fisher and keeping it away from the books while Lucretia read. The only sounds were Fisher’s quiet humming and the occasional turn of a page.

        Magnus let his mind wander. This all seemed unnecessary. The whole problem with the necklace could be solved in a matter of hours, but they’d already spent a few days on it. All it would take was an exchange of a few words and it would be done. Knowing Taako, though, he’d want an enormous ceremony. He’d make Magnus wear a suit, and he’d wear an enormous, probably sparkling dress that would make him look absolutely stunning. Maybe he’d have a bouquet of pink roses or a sash around his waist or something to go with the necklace. Magnus could imagine him walking down an aisle covered with rose petals, his loose hair flowing down his back and his makeup expertly done. Taako would probably insist on a string quartet or something equally flashy playing the music as he entered, and he’d be shining like the sun, Lup or Davenport or someone on his arm, giving him away—

        Magnus sighed and scrubbed his face with his hands. Gods above, he was screwed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love writing for Fisher.


	5. Chapter 5

        “Divorce? What in the world is that?”

        “Oh, well, uh,” Magnus stuttered. “It’s—it’s got something to do with marriage.” He was back at the market, back at that same stall. It had been a week since they’d found out that the necklace wouldn’t come off, and Taako still wasn’t speaking to him. It was driving him nuts, just sitting around the ship, avoiding whatever room Taako was in so he wouldn’t have to feel an icy stare on the back of his neck or feel the mix of shame, sadness, and slight irritation that came from being deliberately ignored. He was the only person not doing anything to figure this whole marriage thing out, and he wanted to change that. So, he’d bundled up and made the trek to town.

        “Divorce is...well, it’s just a fancy word for two people who don’t want to be married anymore splitting up,” he continued to explain to the stall’s vendor. She gasped and put a hand over her heart, looking at Magnus with such utter disbelief that it made him wonder if he’d slapped her across the face and then promptly forgotten about it.

        “But marriage—marriage is the most sacred thing in the world,” she said, her voice shaking. “Why would you ever want to end it?”

        “Lots of reasons,” Magnus said. “Some people think they love each other, but find out that they really don’t in the long run. Some people get cheated on, sometimes people just have too many problems to even try to work it out—”

        “Unheard of,” the vendor whispered. “Completely, totally unheard of.”

        Magnus sighed. He didn’t have time for this. The vendor collected herself, clearing her throat and putting her hands in her lap.

        “I don’t know what it’s like wherever  _ you  _ come from,” she said with no small amount of disdain in her voice, “but here, marriage can never be broken. Not by you, not by me, not by anyone alive or anyone dead. It’s two people vowing to join their souls together before the gods. Breaking such a powerful vow would likely result in one’s death, whether they break it through an act of unfaithfulness or attempting to force someone to renounce it. So, unless you plan to die, I don’t recommend this... _ divorce  _ thing you’re so passionate about.”

        Well, there went that option. “What about breaking an engagement? Can you do that?” Magnus said.

        “No,” the halfling replied flatly. “The engagement is merely the beginning of the promise a couple makes to each other and to the gods.”

        “So there’s no way that he’ll be able to take it off?” Magnus was getting more and more panicked by the second. This was bad. This was very, very bad.

        The vendor was full-on glaring at him now. “Just listen to you! I have  _ never,  _ in my  _ entire life,  _ heard someone so  _ desperate  _ to break a promise to another person! Do you love that young man?”

        “Wh-what?”

        “Do you love him?” she pressed. She was standing on her stool, leaning on the table with both hands as she interrogated him, mere inches away from Magnus’ nose.

        “I—I don’t know?” Magnus said nervously. “I mean—I definitely  _ care  _ about him, but I don’t know if I  _ love  _ him—”

        “Then you shouldn’t have proposed to him in the first place! You young people these days, you’re all so  _ irresponsible  _ with things like this!”

        “I-I didn’t mean to!” Magnus said frantically, holding his hands up in a defensive position and taking a step backwards. “I didn’t know it was a magical engagement thing, I thought it was just a pretty necklace!”

        “Did you listen to a  _ word  _ I was saying when I was selling it to you?” The halfling didn’t give him time to respond. She simply shook her head and scoffed, looking completely and utterly disgusted. “Get away from my booth.”

        “It’s a stall,” Magnus grumbled into his scarf. She threw one of the cheap, fake necklaces at him in response. It missed by a long shot, landing in the snow several inches in front of his feet. Magnus glared at her for a moment before picking it up out of the snow and shoving it in his pocket, sticking his middle finger up at her as he stormed off.

        Great. Fucking fantastic. Of course there wasn’t an easy way to break whatever bullshit magic was on the necklace. Of course one of them would have to  _ die  _ over it. Magnus took the chintzy jewelry out of his pocket and slammed it to the ground in frustration, feeling a twinge of satisfaction when the chain broke. He should have bought one of those things for Taako instead. Sure, it wouldn’t have been as good of a gift, aesthetically speaking, but at least the wizard would be  _ speaking  _ to him. Magnus sighed and readjusted his scarf. The wind was starting to pick up. He just wanted to go home.

        The common room was empty when he returned to the ship. He could just barely hear a conversation coming from the direction of their cabins and the faucet running in the kitchen. Magnus toed off his boots and headed for the latter. He was cold and in a bad mood, and he wanted hot chocolate. It didn’t occur to him that it might be Taako in the kitchen until he saw the elf in question standing at the sink, busying himself with washing dishes. Magnus stood in the doorway for a long moment, searching for something to say.

        “I went to the market again,” he finally said.

        Taako’s ears twitched, but his eyes didn’t move. His posture had stiffened the moment Magnus began to speak.

        “According to her, you won’t be able to take it off. And they’re weird about marriage here. If we do end up—well, you know—we won’t be able to get a divorce or anything. I mean, technically we  _ could,  _ but we’d die. So that sucks.”

        Taako still said nothing. He scrubbed at a glass so vigorously that it was a wonder it wasn’t cracking.

        Magnus sighed heavily and looked at the tiled floor. “Look, Taako, I...I’m really sorry. I wasn’t listening to what that crazy lady said when she was selling me that thing. I’m a big ole dummy who couldn’t even get you a Candlenights gift without fucking it up, and I’m sorry.”

        “Yeah, you’re pretty fuckin’ stupid,” Taako said. He paused before continuing. “You’d better make it up to me next year.”

        Magnus couldn’t help the smile that stretched across his face as relief washed over him. “Hell yeah I will. I’ll just carve you a really fancy bracelet or something next time.”

        “You think I’d wear jewelry made out of  _ wood?”  _ Taako scoffed. “You should know me better by now.”

        Magnus chuckled, and the silence that followed was actually comfortable. He got his favorite mug out of the cupboard (the one with corgis in sunglasses printed all over it) as well as the cocoa powder, sugar, and a small pan. Taako was still doing dishes at the sink, so he waited to fill the pan with water. Taako eyed the ingredients.

        “Get out some vanilla too,” he said. “And salt. And the—where the hell is the milk?”

        “I was gonna use water,” Magnus said. Taako snatched the pan out of his hand.

        “I live amongst savages,” he sighed. He turned off the sink and shooed Magnus out of the way of the stove. “Get cha boy a mug, he’s taking over.”

        Magnus got another mug out before sitting down at the kitchen table. Taako lit the stove with a small burst of flame from his finger, and the comfortable silence fell once more. Magnus watched as he put the powder back in favor of an actual bar of chocolate, and his mouth watered.

        “So, did she say anything else?” Taako asked while the milk was heating.

        “Who?”

        “The lady at the necklace stall, dipshit.”

        “Oh yeah. She uh, yelled at me for wanting to break a sacred promise made to the gods or something like that. Then she complained about young people not taking marriage seriously and threw one of her cheapo necklaces at me.”

        “Fuckin’ hag,” Taako mumbled.

        “Yeah,” Magnus agreed. “I stole the one she threw at me and flipped her off.” Taako snickered and turned back to the stove, stirring the contents of the pot while the ingredients added themselves to the mix.

        “You still have it?”

        “Nope. It broke.”

        “Nice,” Taako said with a smirk.

        “Hell yeah it was. So, uh, why aren’t you in the lab? Or with Lucretia?” Magnus asked.

        “Lup and Barry can’t break the magic on this thing,” Taako said. “And Creesh can’t find any loopholes. The technicalities and laws and shit on this magic are super tight, and Barold says he’s never seen magic like this anywhere else. There’s no breaking that.”

        “Guess you’re stuck wearing that thing for the rest of the year then,” Magnus said.

        “Yep.”

        “Well...it’s not that bad, right?”

        “Here’s the thing.” Taako spun his finger in a circle, and the finished hot chocolate divided itself evenly between the two mugs. “It’s getting heavier.”

        “What?”

        “When they first started making these things, the people on this plane were even crazier about marriage and shit than they are now,” Taako explained as he sat down and slid Magnus his hot chocolate. “Back then, the necklaces got heavier the longer it took for you to get married. Lucretia said it was a way to prevent people from getting second thoughts from waiting too long. If you don’t get hitched within the time limit...the necklace gets so heavy that your spine collapses and you die.”

        Magnus stared wide-eyed in horror. “B-but that was just when they first started making them. How do you have one that does that to you?”

        “Just luck, I guess,” Taako said sarcastically. “Apparently there are some nutcases out there who still make engagement necklaces like that. We just so happened to find one of them.” Magnus swallowed, his heart racing.

        “So—?”

        “So it looks like we’re getting married after all, big guy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Griffin voice* now that's a chapter length I can get into
> 
> I'm having fun writing this! I hope y'all're having fun reading it! <3
> 
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